1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an easily-openable container lid made from a composite or laminate material which includes a thick outer thermoplastic carrier layer, an intermediate gas barrier layer and a thin, heat-sealable inner coating or film layer. The invention further relates to a container and lid combination which is capable of maintaining seal integrity during retort processing without delaminating.
The increased popularity of microwavable, prepackaged foods has created formidable challenges for the designers of new food and beverage containers. Certain food containers, for example, must be able to withstand the elevated temperatures associated with hot filling and the still higher temperatures of retort processing. For greater consumer appeal, the lids to these containers should be easily openable while providing substantially total access to the container contents. The ability to stack filled containers atop one another is also advantageous. For added convenience, aesthetically appealing container shapes should enable food contents to be dispensed from the containers in which they are heated. In any event, the materials used to make such containers should be pleasing to touch while also preserving container contents in a safe, sterilized and unspoiled condition. For business reasons, these materials should also be easy to shape and form into desired lid configurations, preferably at the high speeds associated with large quantity production.